


shoot first (confessions of love later)

by sapphicshaw



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Hosie, bank robbery AU, bankteller!josie, detective!hope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:29:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23220034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphicshaw/pseuds/sapphicshaw
Summary: "I'm well aware that you're capable of taking care of yourself but I'm the one with a nine millimeter and theimpeccableshooting record, Jo. Let me fight the bad guys, okay?"akathe bank robbery au
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson & Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 63
Kudos: 346
Collections: hosie legacies





	1. friends

**Author's Note:**

> trigger warning: violence (relating to suicidal actions, violence against women, and violence with firearms), injuries talked about in detail, and use of derogatory language. 
> 
> read responsibly, my lovelies!

_I took my Power in my Hand —_

_And went against the World —_

_'Twas not so much as David — had —_

_But I — was twice as bold._

_— Emily Dickenson_

"I'd like to open an account for my daughter."

The brunette held in a sigh and gave the woman a polite smile. "You'll have to talk to Dana about opening any new accounts. She's through those doors," Josie responded with a point, sticking her hand through the rectangular opening at the bottom of the glass window that separated employees from the customers.

"I just want to add it as an extension to my account," the woman grumbled but followed Josie's directions, dragging her young child with her.

The bank teller was able to let out her sigh when she saw she'd finally made it through the line. The morning rush on any given Saturday was almost as bad as a weekday after people got off work. 

She leaned down to tighten the knot of her sneakers, glancing behind her to make sure her manager, Clarke, wasn't watching because the bank's dress code did _not_ permit casual shoes. (That's probably the only rule Josie had broken while working, but _damn_ , those black dress flats she was told to wear _hurt_.) As she finished tightening them, she heard a voice call out, "You can hide but you can't run."

Josie straightened her shoulders and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear before she looked up, feeling the warmth of a soft blush make its way onto her face at the sight of the redhead.

"I'm pretty sure it's the other way around, Detective Mikaelson."

"Well, either way, _gotchya_ ," the redhead grinned, taking a sip of her coffee before leaning her arms on the teller's counter, giving Josie a direct line of sight at Hope's cleavage.

(And you can't really blame a girl for looking when such a sight was _right_ in front of her.)

The detective knew she was giving the teller an amazing view of her breasts. Hope had chosen a lacy, dark red bra to wear under her white button-up, and because she was pressed against the counter, Josie could see it _perfectly_.

(Hope may have also unbuttoned her shirt a little more than what could be considered professional.)

The detective held in a smirk, watching the teller swallow as her eyes stayed glued to her breasts.

"So, Jo," Hope started, taking pity on the brunette and breaking her from her trance, "how's the hunt for a graduate school going?"

Josie’s gaze snapped up, fighting a blush before responding, "It's going. I've said it before but taking that year off after my undergrad was stupid."

"Hey," Hope shook her head and moved one of her hands so it was under the rectangular window, reaching out for Josie's, "it wasn't stupid. From what you've told me, you needed that year off."

Josie hesitantly interlocked her fingers with Hope's after scanning the bank for any prying eyes that would tell her manager that she was _fraternizing_ with customers before responding, "I guess, yeah. It just would be easier, you know? I have a degree in psychology and _this,_ " she gestured to the window, "isn't what I thought I'd be doing."

"Mental health is important, Jo. I wish more guys on the force were smart enough to realize they need help. Some of them let it get too far, and in my line of work, that's beyond dangerous." Hope clenched her jaw, thinking of countless coworkers that didn't voice their needs and ended up sticking the barrel of a gun in their mouth before their fortieth birthday (not to mention the ones that never should've been allowed on the force with their abusive tendencies). "You made the decision you needed to make."

The two women shared a moment before the bank's doors opened and a couple walked in.

"Well, I'll leave you to it," Hope trailed off, not willing to be the first to let go.

Josie gave the detective a small smile before pulling her hand away and biting her lip when Hope did the same but added a wink.

"Were you going to withdraw or deposit anything?"

Hope shrugged, her cheeks turning a bit red as she responded, "No. Just came to see you."

"I have my lunch break in fifteen minutes. Do you want to take it with me if you're not on shift today?" Josie murmured so the entering customers wouldn't hear.

Hope smiled softly before responding, "I'd love to. I can go grab us something from _Angie's_? You're still a salad girl, right?" she teased, chuckling when Josie rolled her eyes playfully but nodded.

"Thank you and _shoo_. I have customers," Josie told the redhead as the couple approached her counter.

Hope gave a mock salute before turning around and heading out the doors, a grin on her face and a swing to her hips.

The latter did not go unnoticed by Josie as she had to ask the couple to repeat their request, too distracted by the detective's ass.

After she has finished helping the couple, she heard a snicker behind her. Her head whipped around and she sent a mocking glare at the culprit. "What, MG?"

Her coworker just shook his head as his grin grew wider. "You and Miss Fancy-Pants Detective have the biggest _will they, won't they_ energy."

"Thanks for your input but Hope and I are just friends."

"Friends don't stare at one another's asses."

Josie's eyes grew and she quickly shushed him. "I'd rather not get busted for not working because of you."

"Awe, c'mon, you love it," he gave her his cheesiest smile and she had to bite her cheek not to give in and smile at his antics. 

Josie just shook her head, giving up at hiding her smile. "Screw you."

"More like screw Detective Mikaelson."

"If I have to tell you to get back to work yet _again_ , you'll be leaving here without a job, Milton," Clarke, the manager snarled, interrupting the two's banter. He always managed to sneak up on people.

Josie was creeped out by the guy and his beady little eyes so she turned back around, sending MG an apologetic smile.

MG shrugged back and turned to the manager. "Actually, my shift just ended."

Clarke's eyes narrowed. "Then leave and stop distracting other employees."

"Yes sir," he gave a mocking salute before sending a friendly wink Josie's way.

She rolled her eyes and held in yet another sigh.

It was going to be quite a day.

///

"Hope, dear, what can I get you?" the older woman asked from behind the counter, a soft smile on her face.

"My regular and Josie's too please, Angie."

The woman gave her a knowing look as soon as Josie's name was mentioned. The detective brought the teller to _Angie's_ as soon as Josie and Hope had become friends, insisting she had to try everything on the menu. After the brunette told Hope she was a vegetarian, limiting her options, Hope encouraged her to try a new salad each time they went. By the fifth outing, Angie had run out of salads. Josie moved to wraps and other food items and after she made it through the menu, Josie decided she liked the first salad she'd tried. When Hope asked what was so special about it, Josie blushed and told her, " _It was the first item I ate with you_ ," going on to explain the brain's chemistry and how it triggered an immediate likening of the salad because it was her first experience and so on.

To be honest, Hope thought it was a load of _bull_ , but still couldn't help but smile and nod along to the teller's ramblings.

As her order was finishing, Hope reached into her back pocket, taking out her wallet, her arm brushed the cold metal attached to her hip. Her leather jacket shielded the view of her firearm, except for when she lifted her arms. Because of this, Hope was careful not to show it, for fear a civilian would do something stupid. When she wasn't on duty, she didn't wear her cuffs, or radio, but was required to carry her piece. There had been stories of civilians reaching for an off-duty officer or detective's firearm and ended up harming others. Thus, she tried to keep it out of view.

"Honey, you know better," Angie scolded as Hope tried to pay for the lunches.

The detective gave Angie a mock surrender, tucking her wallet away but not before sliding a twenty-dollar bill into the _tips_ jar when the older woman wasn't looking.

Angie and Hope had met when the redhead was just a rookie. _Angie's_ had been burglarized and Hope was first on scene with her superior, so Hope was given the job of taking first statements. Angie was frazzled, her hands shaking and her voicing wavering when she recalled the offender holding a pistol to her head and demanding the cash from the register. Hope still remembered the way Angie's face melted into gratitude after the redhead took her hands in her own and reassured her they would find the man who stole and threatened her.

When the man was caught a week later, Hope couldn't wait to testify at his trial. It wasn't until he took a plea deal that she figured it was for the best. With a plea deal, Angie wouldn't have to testify of her experience in front of total strangers and the man who threatened her. Hope began checking in on the woman whom she had connected with, perhaps it was her way of finding motherly qualities in someone else, or just wanting human connection. Either way, the two meshed well. Angie gave her free lunches and Hope always overtipped.

"Here you are, kiddo. Tell the girlfriend I say hi," she teased, sliding Hope the lunches with a smirk.

"She's not my girlfriend," Hope responded, biting her lip to hide a smile.

"Well, you better snatch her up before someone else does. She's an intelligent young woman who is most definitely _not_ lacking in the looks department."

"Then you ought to date her," Hope called out with a grin as she began walking away.

The older woman got in the last word as she responded, "Ask her out, Mikaelson!"

Hope chuckled and made her way back to the bank, swinging the bag with her sandwich and Josie's salad.

The detective smiled as she re-entered the bank and saw Josie beaming at a young boy who was enjoying the attention the teller was giving him. He couldn't have been more than eight as he pointed at the suckers next to Josie and made a movement with his hands.

Hope's eyebrows knit together before she came to the realization the boy was signing to Josie. The teller made a few choppy movements back to the boy before handing him two suckers and pressing her finger to her lips with a wink. The boy glanced at the man Hope assumed was the boy's father, and when the boy saw he wasn't paying attention, he took the suckers with a grin before sticking them in his pocket. She didn't want to interrupt their conversation, so she waited a couple of minutes until the boy left, waving to Josie as his dad practically dragged him away.

Josie smiled as she watched the boy walk out with his father, the smile only grew as she locked eyes with Hope. The teller flipped the sign on her station so it read, _CLOSED._ She informed her coworker she was taking her lunch break. Hope didn't miss the way the coworker gave Josie a nudge and looked in Hope's direction teasingly. Josie blushed and shook her head at the coworker before swiping her employee card and walking to meet Hope.

"Shall we, Detective?" Josie asked, biting her lip in excitement as they walked outside. The teller paused and closed her eyes, breathing in the fresh air. Hope stopped alongside the woman and watched with adoration as the girl sighed, taking in the sunlight.

"Ready, Jo?"

The teller nodded and opened her eyes. She gave Hope a warm smile and grabbed her arm as they walked to their usual spot located a block away from the bank, under a large tree away from most people. Hope took off her leather jacket and placed it carefully on the ground as she had done since their first outing together.

"You don't have to keep doing that, you know," Josie rolled her eyes and shook her head warmly at the detective. Secretly, Josie loved the gesture. Well, it probably wasn't too much of a secret because Hope could read it on her face fairly well every time she laid it down for the woman.

"Oh, just sit down, Saltzman," Hope grumbled, the humor in her eyes shining through.

"Thank you," the teller responded shyly as she sat on the jacket. Hope sat next to her and handed her the salad.

"How much do I owe you?"

"A date?"

Josie's eyebrows rose and she sputtered, "What?"

Hope quickly retracted her statement, "Like, a friend date? You know, girls' night out?"

Josie felt her the excitement in her dissipate."Oh."

Hope wanted to hit herself for being so forward and probably freaking her best friend out. Of course the redhead wanted to date Josie, but she couldn't afford to lose her as a friend.

"I just mean we haven't had a moment to ourselves with me pulling overtime and you applying for grad school. I thought it'd be good to have a friend date," Hope tried not to wince at how she sounded.

Josie shrugged as she began eating her salad. She waited until she swallowed before responding, "Sounds good to me. Can we go to the shooting range? I need to let out my frustrations." Josie also needed to feel Hope pressed up behind her, guiding her on how to safely and properly use a firearm.

"Yeah, of course!" Hope quickly jumped at the opportunity to spend time with the teller, silently thanking whatever gods were helping her not make things any more awkward. She thought going to the shooting range would help with the frustration built up from a lack of sexual release, but when Josie softly asked the detective to help her practice her stance, the frustration only grew. She loved feeling so close to the teller but hated how she couldn't do _more_.

"I get off work at six. We can go grab a bite to eat first? I'll pay," Josie asked, trying to hide the smile that was making its way onto her face at Hope shoveling down her sandwich.

"Sounds perfect," the detective murmured after she swallowed the last bite of bread.

"It's a date," Josie added simply, continuing to eat her salad as if what she said wasn't making her own heart flutter.

Hope had to bite her lip to prevent her from grinning like an idiot. It didn't work. She gave Josie a wide grin, meeting her eyes with a look that told _so_ much.

After the two were finished with their teasing and oblivious flirting, they stood. Josie shook off Hope's jacket before handing it back to her with a soft smile. She took a step closer to the detective before asking quietly, "Can I hug you?"

Hope wasn't usually a huge touchy-feely type of person but Josie was different. Her hugs were warm and made her feel safe. They felt like Hope coming home. The detective responded with a shy nod and Josie didn't waste a second as she leaned to pull the woman into her. Their height difference had always bothered Hope, but she didn't mind too much when the two embraced. Hope let her eyes close and her head drop so she was resting in the crook of Josie's neck. Her arms wrapped around Josie and rubbed sooting patterns on her back. One of Hope's hands fell a bit low as her hand dipped under Josie's untucked shirt and made little circles on her skin. The teller sighed contently and leaned further into Hope.

A beeping sound broke them apart and Josie frowned at her phone when she saw she had a few minutes to get back before her break was over. "I have to get back. Thank you for lunch, Detective," Josie said with a sparkle in her eyes as she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss against Hope's cheek.

The redhead fought a blush as she responded, "Want me to walk you back?"

"I'm okay, but thank you."

"You need to stop thanking me for being a halfway decent person, Jo."

"You've always gone above and beyond, Mikaelson. I could never stop thanking you for that."

///

Unknownst to Josie, the shooting range closed at six almost every night. But because Hope was such a personable and kind coworker (unlike so many of her shitty colleagues), the officer in charge of the range would let her use an aisle for shooting. He had to lock up all the firearms, but he'd tell Hope to bring her own, along with ammunition, and she'd be allowed to stay late.

Hope parked her car a block down from the bank so she wouldn't have to deal with parallel parking before she grabbed her jacket and began walking to the bank.

As she approached the bank, she noticed a figure standing inside the building with their back to the doors. She frowned and slowed down her pace, trying to see into the bank's glass doors but the glare from the sun was preventing her sight.

Detective Hope Mikaelson wasn't promoted as the youngest detective in the history of her department because of some quota; she was promoted because she noticed things her colleagues didn't. She was able to make informed decisions with little information.

 _It was too bad she was distracted by the thought of Josie in danger to think clearly_.

Thankfully, she was wise enough to dial the emergency line and notify them there was suspicious activity at the bank. When the operator asked her to stay on the line until a unit responded, Hope broke protocol and ended the call.

The redhead took a deep, calming breath and began approaching the bank's entrance, acting as carefree as she could.

_And so it had begun..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> all mistakes are mine!
> 
> i'm embarrassed and pretty sure this fic will be made fun of lmao but hey, i need to expand my writing! also i cherry-picked the first half of the emily dickenson poem, but the other half is beautiful too.
> 
> twitter: sapphicshaw


	2. survivors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> same trigger warnings apply: violence (relating to suicidal actions, violence against women, and violence with firearms), injuries talked about in detail, and use of derogatory language.

As she entered the bank, her stomach dropped. The man with his back to the door whipped around and Hope knew _exactly_ what was going on. He had a red plastic mask on and a pistol tucked into the front of his jeans.

 _Amateurs. They're going to shoot their own dicks off,_ Hope thought, wanting to scoff aloud but knowing better.

"Oh my god, what's going on?" she tried, dropping her keys and using the distraction to scan the main room. Including the man who was attempting to block the doors, there was one other individual with a similar mask that was blue, but he was carrying a different type of gun. Hope counted seven civilians and three employees, most seated in the middle of the bank, their eyes downcast.

Josie was nowhere to be seen.

Hope was hoping she had gone to meet her at their usual lunch spot. The detective didn't want to imagine any scenario in which Josie was in danger.

The man that was supposedly guarding the door whipped out his pistol and pointed it at her. The idiot had no knowledge of the basics of firearms or he would've stepped out of reach. Hope could easily twist his wrist and effectively disarm him, but that would be risking the safety of others if the gun accidentally went off or if the other assailant decided to shoot at her. He also wouldn't be pointing the pistol sideways. If he shot, the shell of the bullet would be discharged and could hit him in the eye. But Hope wasn't going to stop him from being an idiot, after all, he'd be the easiest to disarm. The man's hand was shaking as he asked her, "How the hell did you get in?"

"The doors were unlocked, please don't," Hope pleaded, trying to sound sincere even though all she wanted to do was yank the gun away from him and punch him right in the fucking face.

The blue masked assailant with the gun to an employee's back cursed, "I told you to lock the fucking doors."

"Yeah, well, I was more worried about people getting _out_ than getting in," red mask replied as he grabbed Hope's arm and dragged her to the middle of the room where the civilians were located. "Give me your phone," he growled and Hope complied, pulling it out of her jacket pocket. The man forced her to sit and Hope noticed the young woman next to her had tears streaming down her face and was clutching her arm in pain.

"Are you okay?" Hope whispered to the woman before she felt a sharp hit to her head. The redhead turned to look at what hit her and saw the butt of the assault rifle the second assailant was carrying.

"Don't _speak_ , don't _look_ , don't _move_ ," the voice spat before the employee, who had the gun just pointed at him, was forced to sit as well.

Red mask dragged the other employee to the doors and forced her to lock them before she was brought to the circle of civilians.

The two men walked around the circle slowly, making sure the group was following instructions. 

Hope let out a string of curses, _in her head_ , of course.

If these two weren't going after any money, then there was at least one more assailant.

If there was another assailant, that meant they would need an employee to open any money vaults which meant _Josie_ was somewhere in the bank being threatened.

Hope felt fire running through her veins.

She couldn't do anything until she knew Josie was safe and the only way she could know that was if the woman was in her line of sight.

The redhead eyed the other hostages, trying not to draw attention. She didn't really recognize any of the employees and figured MG must've gotten off shift earlier than usual. She didn't see Josie's asshole manager either, which had her hoping that Josie wasn't the one being forced to get money.

Hope continued trying to ID as many of the employees as she could, hoping one of them would be able to tell her if Josie was safe. She turned her head slightly, and that's when Hope saw him.

Not an employee, but rather the young boy she had seen with Josie. He was biting his lip and nervously tapping his fingers against his hearing aid.

Hope waved her hand at the ground, drawing the boy's attention. She tried to remember her year of sign language in college as she signed to the boy, _What's your name?_

The boy stopped tapping and smiled sadly as he glanced around and gave a quick response, _Pedro_.

Hope gave the boy a wink and signed messily, _My name is Hope. Can you help me?_

The boy nodded softly.

Hope gave a thumbs up before asking, _How many bad guys are there?_

Pedro shuddered and held out four fingers.

The redhead gave the boy another wink and signed, _Thank you, Pedro_.

The detective decided to call the assailants by their mask's colors as she thought of a plan.

Hope knew the police would be here soon but she was kicking herself for her lack of details when talking to the 911 operator about the 'suspicious activity'. The response time for the department was under six minutes but if they were only sending a couple of units, Hope was worried they'd be walking into an ambush. The robbers may be amateurs, but all they needed was to hear a siren and a serious hostage situation could develop.

She knew she had two options that would equate to, most likely, the same outcome. She could pull a James Bond by acting now and disarming both men, trying not to make any loud noises like gunshots or screaming, or she could wait until the other two assailants came into view. The James Bond option would be reckless because while she was trained to disarm, she wasn't an immortal being. If she got hurt, no one would be able to help the others before the police arrived and the situation could turn even more deadly. The second option wasn't perfect either because once all assailants were in one area, they'd have a pack mentality and be harder to pick off, one by one. 

There was a third option that she rather unfortunately had to consider: do nothing. She could let it play out as long as no one was hurt, and gather and give as much detail as possible to the police after the ordeal.

She would just have to play it by ear.

Hope kept her head down but managed to catch a glimpse of a tattoo on the man with the red mask. She continued to note their height, weight, build, scars, and the way they held their firearms. She assumed red mask had no training in firearms or personal defense. However, blue mask seemed to know how to handle himself. He was wearing laced up boots and had clothes that covered most of his skin. Both assailants were wearing gloves, most likely so they wouldn't leave fingerprints. 

The detective shifted slowly so she could sneak a look toward the tellers' counter. She knew they stored their money through a back door and into a separate vault in which had the standard security measures: the manager's key code, an employee's key code, and a time-release. Hope knew this because Josie would complain about how long it took to receive a delivery. _Of course, Josie wasn't allowed to tell anyone about the bank's security, but she figured Hope was a trustworthy person_. The time-release only allowed the vault to be opened at certain times each day. Usually, the times would be at the opening of hours, the closing, and any scheduled deliveries. Hope had no idea if the robbers would be able to beat the system, but she hoped they would so they wouldn't take their anger out on Josie.

A jab between her shoulders sent her facedown on the ground as blue mask sneered, "Keep your pretty little head _down_ , bitch."

Hope felt the pressure being released as the man pulled the butt of his gun away and continued walking. The detective's own gun was now pressing into her stomach uncomfortably but she couldn't show any sign of discomfort. The last thing she needed was to be found out as a cop before she could do anything.

She knew if she was going to do something, it would have to be fast.

Her decision was made for her as she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. The two men stopped walking around the civilians and turned to face the other direction. Hope tilted her head so she could see better.

Blue mask spoke first, "You couldn't get in?"

"This bitch," a new voice spoke, "says the timed sequence security can't be bypassed."

Hope turned her head more and--

 _Josie_.

Josie was being held by the man who had spoken. She had tears streaming down her face but didn't look physically hurt. The man gripping her arm tightly was wearing a green mask and had blood dripping down the plastic. He had his revolver jammed into Josie's stomach so she wouldn't be able to move without him letting her.

Red mask asked, "What does that mean for the money?"

"It means we won't be getting it, dumbass."

Blue mask spoke, his tone dripping in exasperation, "So now what?"

Hope saw a fourth figure appear, this one was wearing a gray mask. He spoke in an even tone, "It means we wait it out. You," he pointed to red mask, "turn on the police scanner. We need to make sure we'll have enough time to bolt." He set his watch and told the three men, "We wait nine minutes until closing. That's when the vault should open." The man approached Josie before tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear and gripping her jaw as he whispered, "And if it doesn't, we'll make a pretty collage of your blood all over these walls."

"I think I should be permitted to get her back for headbutting me?" green mask sneered.

_Oh, if Hope got her hands on him..._

"Gotta pass the time somehow," gray mask added snidely, tucking his pistol into his pants. "A lot can be done in nine minutes."

Green mask snickered as he loosened the hold on Josie only to grab the shoulder of her blouse and tug. Her shirt tore as Josie tried fighting back but the assailant quickly jammed the gun back into her stomach.

Josie felt the gun being pressed under her ribcage. The pressure hurt so much she could've screamed but the fear of being groped, _or worse_ , had her adrenaline through the roof.

Green mask tilted his head and released the hand holding her to grab onto her necklace. "Well isn't this pretty? It looks quite valuable, maybe even vintage." He yanked it off her neck without a protest from Josie. The barrel of the gun being pushed into her didn't allow for any movement. The woman clenched her jaw as she fought back tears.

Just as Hope was debating pulling out her gun and shooting the bastard holding Josie, then the other three pieces of shit, she heard sirens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all for reading! all mistakes are mine.
> 
> tweet me: @ sapphicshaw


	3. fighters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> same trigger warnings apply: violence (relating to suicidal actions, violence against women, and violence with firearms), injuries talked about in detail, and use of derogatory language.
> 
> please don't read if any of these topics are sensitive! this is the chapter in which most of these topics are discussed!

_Just as Hope was debating pulling out her gun and shooting the bastard holding Josie, then the other three pieces of shit, she heard sirens._

Unfortunately, so did the man in the gray mask.

"Hey! Did they put anything on the scanner?" he asked red mask, his hand gripping the firearm tighter.

"Uh, just a 10-66?" red mask replied, not sure what it meant. He pulled up a web browser on the tablet and gulped, "It means suspicious persons."

"Does it give a location?"

Red mask looked down at the tablet before shakily replying, "Yeah, uh, _here_."

"You _stupid_ son of a _bitch_! How long ago did that call go out?" gray mask slammed his hand against the wall, his anger rolling off of him in waves.

"Less than seven minutes ago."

Gray mask turned to the civilians and Hope's head snapped down. She prayed he hadn't seen her.

"I don't have time to interrogate these fuckers on who called. We need out of here." He turned to Josie and pointed his gun at her. "Where's the employee exit?"

Green mask moved his gun away from the woman as she pointed and reluctantly muttered, "Through the break room, past the bathrooms."

"You're coming with us to ensure our safety, honey," gray mask replied, grabbing her from green mask. "And for the civilians? Kill one of them. Send a message to whatever little pussy who called the pigs. Shoot the kid," he ordered blue mask, pointing at Pedro.

Hope's stomach dropped.

The poor boy had no idea what was going on (but when a man with a gun points it at someone, even a kid knows nothing good will happen). The boy just blinked at the man. Hope turned her attention to the dad. She watched several emotions pass over Pedro's father's face, from anger to bewilderment, to fear. He began pleading for his son's life, asking them to shoot him instead, but blue mask made his way over to Pedro.

The other three assailants began walking in the direction of the exit, Josie trying to fight back with no avail. They were out of sight as blue mask approached. He hit the father with the butt of his firearm to shut him up. The entire group of hostages, Hope included, winced as his skull made contact with the gun. It was a sickening sound and the sight wasn't any prettier as his eyes rolled back into their sockets and he hit the floor with a grunt.

Hope waited until blue mask distracted enough by the thought of killing the kid before she silently drew her weapon. She put pressure on her left hand and knees as she lifted herself up and aimed at the assailant. She shot twice, a double-tap to his forehead. _Maybe all that extra time in the range with Josie had done her some good._ He fell to the floor but the sound of his body hitting the ground couldn't be heard above the other civilians screaming.

She hoped the other three assailants thought it was their buddy that shot, not anyone else.

Hope grabbed the man's assault rifle after she stuck her own gun back into its holster she told civilians to walk out of the building with their hands up so the police would be able to handle the situation. "Tell them whatever they ask. And tell them Detective Mikaelson is pursuing the three offenders. Got it?"

They nodded, their eyes wide as some stared at the man's body and others gawked at the detective. Hope gave Pedro a weak smile. _How do you comfort a kid who just had a gun pointed at him and then had to watch his dad get beat?_

Hope took a deep breath, her brain still not completely comprehending what was happening. She followed her gut and went after the three men, the assault rifle feeling heavy in her hands.

She had trained with assault rifles, and she knew it was the better option to shoot three attackers with its larger magazine capacity and sighted scope, but she wasn't as comfortable with it as she would've liked to be. It was a foreign weapon to her and it wasn't police issued.

One of the most important rules she learned in the police academy was not to use a criminal's gun. They were taught to unload it (safety measures) and wait for evidence collection. Using someone else's firearm was dangerous for a multitude of reasons. The main issue being that the gun might not be sighted properly, it could lock up and not shoot, or it could have an untrustworthy trigger. She knew she was taking a huge risk trusting the rifle, but she knew if she was going up against multiple men, she needed something more powerful than a nine millimeter with a fifteen round capacity. _Well, it was really down to thirteen bullets because two sat in a dead man's head._

As Hope made her way through the employee break room, she checked the magazine capacity of the rifle and silently scoffed. _A thirty round magazine capacity? What in the goddamned hell were these guys thinking they were going to do? Storm a freaking police headquarters?_

Hope continued through the break room, her heart stuttering to a stop when she saw a trail of red. Her hands gripped the rifle tighter as she took a breath before following the trail. She didn't know how to prepare herself for seeing her best friend lying on the floor with that glassy look lifeless bodies had in their eyes.

 _This was all her fault_ , she thought _,_ _If she had acted sooner the men wouldn't have been able to kill Josie and_ —

Hope would never be able to explain the relief she felt as she found the source of the blood. Red mask had multiple gunshot holes in his chest. _He was very dead and very bloody._

Hope didn't give the man a second thought and continued walking through the room, stepping over the body and making her way past the bathrooms. She saw the exit and took a deep breath before opening the door slowly and silently.

She saw Josie being forced into a van by gray mask as green mask hopped into the driver's seat. Hope was still hidden in the doorway as she took aim through the scope. The detective was a good shot, but she couldn't afford to miss. Instead of trying to go for a headshot, which would be risky because of Josie's proximity to the man, Hope shot straight at center mass. She fired twice and by the second shot, she knew he was _done_.

He was dead before he hit the ground.

Unfortunately, gray mask had been successful in getting Josie into the van. The girl looked paperwhite and as if she would pass out. Hope swallowed harshly as she saw the red seeping around Josie's fingers.

Hope bit her lip and fought back tears as she aimed at the assault rifle at green mask. He reached for the pistol tucked in his pants and Hope yelled, "Move and I shoot!"

He stopped moving.

"Jo, _hey_ , Jo, are you good?" Hope called out, not moving an inch as her rifle stayed trained on the man. "Josie, come on," she pleaded, needing to hear her friend affirm she was okay.

"Looks like your girlfriend is losing blood from the stab Gray gave her so she'd stop fighting back. He pressed a _little_ too deep," green mask taunted as he slowly began moving his hand to his pistol.

"I said don't move," Hope gave a warning shot, shooting the side mirror of the van. Her tone shifted from hostile to soothing, "Jo, honey, I need you to stay awake just for a few more minutes, okay?"

Josie moaned in pain as a response.

Hope heard sirens approaching and sent a silent prayer for the four police cars that came to a screeching halt, surrounding the van. The officers took cover behind their doors as they drew their weapons and trained them on the man. Hope knew that there could be crossfire if shooting began so she knew all shots had to be on target.

"You need to give up," Hope told him simply.

"I'm not leaving here in cuffs, lady. I know I'll be looking at twenty to life," green mask shook his head as he used one of his hands to pull off his bloody mask. His nose looked broken, _(go Josie for that headbutt!)_ and beads of sweat made their way down his face. He didn't have any interesting or distinguishable features. He looked like any other guy Hope would walk past on the street without any second thought. He was a nobody.

"You didn't kill anyone. You can still get out of this with only a little time. I'll put in a good word for you if you keep your hands up and let me arrest you," Hope stated truthfully. She didn't care what it took, she just needed to tend to Josie _and this loser was making it all about him_.

The man shook his head. "Gray made me shoot Red. Said he was an incompetent pussy who would drag us down." He had sealed his fate. "I'm not going back to prison. I won't make it this time," he snarled, his hand moving up to his face as he attempted to wipe away to sweat and blood. "I'm not going back," he repeated as he suddenly grabbed his gun and stuck the tip of the barrel in his mouth.

The sound of the gun firing rang through the area, signaling the end of the criminals' attempted bank robbery but Hope didn't give two shits.

She didn't bother watching after she heard the bang. She dropped the rifle and ran to Josie.

"Hey, Jo," Hope caressed the brunette's cheek before brushing a lock of hair out of the woman's face. "This is going to hurt, but you'll be okay. Ready?"

Josie was too out of it to comprehend what Hope was asking her, but the woman knew she was being comforted, so she nodded groggily. Her eyes searched Hope's, pleading for reassurance.

"You'll be okay," Hope muttered before moving Josie's hand off of her side and assessing the wound. She knew EMTs would be on the scene in a matter of minutes but Hope knew it only took a few minutes to bleed out. She winced at the blood flowing out and shoved her leather jacket off in an attempt to clot the wound. It wasn't a preferable material but it was all she had. The wound wasn't covering a lot of surface area, but it must've been deep with the amount of blood coming out. Hope continued to press the jacket tightly, using both hands. It seemed to be working. The bleeding was slowing and she was hopeful it would come to a stop.

Josie started to feel lighter and lighter and her eyelids felt heavier and heavier. She began seeing black spots appear and she slowly closed her eyes. She heard a voice calling at her to stay awake, then two more joined. She felt pressure on her side and something being put around her mouth and nose. It became easier to breathe but Josie still felt herself slipping into the abyss of nothingness.

She closed her eyes and let the darkness surround her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and i oop—
> 
> kudos + comments = happy writer!! 
> 
> twitter: @ sapphicshaw


	4. lovers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> same trigger warnings apply: violence (relating to suicidal actions, violence against women, and violence with firearms), injuries talked about in detail, and use of derogatory language.

Hope hated hospitals. She hated the stark colors and the smell of cleaning supplies and the blur of people dressed in all shades of scrubs. She hated the memories that came in tidal waves. Losing one parent is devastating, but two? Hope often questioned how she remained sane through her childhood. 

She was back to the same hospital, to the same waiting room. She rubbed her arms, missing the warmth and comfort of her jacket. 

When EMTs had arrived on the scene, Hope refused to leave her friend alone. Breaking protocol for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, she hopped in the back of the ambulance, never letting go of Josie's hand. The EMT had been sticking IVs in brunette, adjusting oxygen output, and most importantly, clotting the blood from the stab. By the time they arrived at the hospital, Josie was clammy and pale and her blood pressure was dropping at an alarming rate.

Hope was brushed aside, finally letting go of her friend's hand as the doctors and nurses began transporting and working on Josie. Hope watched as Josie was wheeled away.

"You should wash up, Detective," the EMT suggested in a soft voice. "Blood spreads all sorts of nasty diseases."

Not to mention that she looked like something from the movie _Carrie_. Her hands were caked with dried blood, as well as her shirt. She must've touched her face at some point because there was a streak of red on her cheek. 

"Yeah," Hope muttered back, making her way through the same doors Josie had just moments ago. She stumbled her way through the entrance and managed to find a bathroom. With shaky hands, she turned on the faucet, soaped up, and began scrubbing the blood away. Her hands were raw by the time she stopped. She looked up, meeting her own eyes in the mirror. She stared at herself for a couple of minutes, trying to process what had happened. She couldn't. 

Hope grabbed a paper towel and ran it under the water. She continued watching herself in the mirror as she wiped away the blood on her face. What started as a slight tremor in her hands had changed to rather violent shaking. She couldn't pull her eyes away from all the red. It was Josie's blood. All over her. All over the ambulance and the floor and, _god_ , Hope was not cut out for this.

There was no amount of training that could've prepared her for her best friend's blood over her. There was no amount of therapy that could get her over this trauma. She just needed Josie to live. Josie needed to survive and give Hope that shy smile that the redhead had fallen in love with. Josie needed to pull through this so Hope could _breathe_.

She needed to live so she could go to grad school and eat salads and hug her sister.

Josie just needed to live.

The Detective was snapped out of her thoughts as the bathroom door opened. She didn't care that the woman who entered was giving her a look. Hope just rinsed out the sink, watching the water and blood mix and run down the drain. She did her best to wipe away any remaining blood but knew she'd have to mention it to someone on the cleaning staff. She shut the water off and took a minute to compose herself.

She threw the paper towel away and left, refusing to look back at her reflection.

Hope found the waiting room and slumped into a chair. She pulled her hairband out, allowing her hair to fall around her face. She massaged her temples and hunched over in exhaustion. She didn't recover her phone from when the robbers took it so she knew she'd have some time before her supervisor figured out how to get in contact with her. He'd probably send an officer to take her statement and she wasn't sure she was ready to do that. To tell them how she killed someone. How she watched a man assault her friend. How she watched a little boy almost die.

_How the world stopped moving only for it to turn abruptly after the last gun went off._

She just needed to fast forward to the future where she wasn't waiting to hear news on Josie and waiting to give a statement and waiting to see what would happen next. She needed assurances, and sitting in an empty waiting room wasn't going to give her any comfort. 

///

"Where is she? Where's my sister?" a panicked voice echoed through the waiting room.

Hope stood and clutched the woman's arms. "She's in surgery. Sit Lizzie, you had a long drive."

The blonde collapsed in the chair, streaks of tears on her cheeks as she stared at the ground. "I don't understand how this could happen. They have buzzers under their desks if someone ever threatens them."

"I don't know why they weren't pressed but the police are investigating right now." In the time it took Lizzie to get to the hospital, Hope had been tracked down and told to give a statement. She had to turn in her gun until a full investigation was complete. Protocol had been broken numerous times that evening and she was lucky she didn't have to go into the precinct to be interrogated. The cameras had been cut but the witnesses were reliable and defended Hope's actions. The detective knew she'd be in for a load of questioning, but for the time being, she was permitted to stay at the hospital. 

"You were there. How bad is it?" Lizzie questions, her fingers clutching her purse in a death grip. 

The redhead placed her hand gently on the blonde's. "She'll pull through."

Lizzie's head shot up and her eyes searched Hope's. "I asked how _bad_ it is, Hope. Don't deflect."

The detective pulled her hand away and ran it through her tangled hair. "I really don't know. She lost a lot of blood. No one's updated me. I'm not family."

Lizzie let out a watery scoff. "Might as well be. You two have had the hots for each other since day one. Josie took one look at you in your leather jacket, shiny hair, and polished gun and was _soaked_."

"Oh my god, Lizzie, shut up." Hope flushed.

"I never thought my sister, Miss Liberal, would fall in love with a cop, and yet here we are."

"We're not in love we're just—"

"Friends?" Lizzie gave the detective a pointed look. "She's constantly checking out your ass. As for you? You look at her like she hung the fucking moon."

Hope shook her head, her cheeks warm as she tried not to picture Josie checking her out. The redhead couldn't believe Lizzie was being this upfront and honest. The two had only met a handful of times, usually when the blonde stopped by to see Josie. More often than not, if Josie wasn't working, she was with Hope. But for Lizzie to think they were in love?

Perhaps Hope hadn't seen the signs, or perhaps she didn't want to. Everyone she loved always ended up dying and maybe by keeping Josie at an arm's distance, by remaining friends, she could keep her safe.

But that didn't work. Josie was baring herself to surgeons and nurses and technicians as she was operated on. She wasn't safe.

The universe could choose to take Josie any minute of any day, so maybe Hope could risk it. She could profess her love and tell Josie that when she smiled, Hope found herself smiling too. She could tell her of all the ways she found Josie amazing, from the way she handed out extra suckers to children, to the way she pulled Hope into a warm, butterfly and comfort inducing hug. Josie was everything good in the world and Hope needed to tell her.

The detective was pulled out of her thoughts as a nurse approached the two women. "Are one of you family to Josette Saltzman?"

Lizzie stood, tugging Hope with her. "Yes, we both are."

"I have information on her condition. If you'd just like to follow me for some privacy as the surgeon joins us."

Hope's throat closed. _Condition?_

///

_Four months later_

Hope approached the headstone slowly. Her palms were sticky with sweat as she clutched the plastic wrapping around the flowers. She stared at the stone, memorizing every letter and word. She didn't know what to say. It had been so long since that last time she visited.

The weather was cool and Hope could feel the chill seeping into her bones. There were a few painted stones with little images drawn on them set next to the headstone. Hope wasn't sure who kept leaving them, but she was thankful she wasn't the only one visiting.

_The dead need to be talked to — they need to be remembered._

The wind rippled around her thin jacket as she stood still. "I don't know what to say," she muttered.

"Just talk to her as if she were here." Hope felt a comforting hand on the small of her back. "She'd be so proud of you, Hope."

The detective turned around, a tear falling down her cheek before she could wipe it away. "I miss them. I miss _her_."

"I know."

"And I don't know what I would've done if you were gone too, Josie," Hope said.

"I wouldn't leave you so easily. I mean, you wouldn't have anyone to buy salads for." Josie teased, her smile bright as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind Hope's ear.

Hope didn't think it was a smiling matter. "You almost died, Josie."

Josie raised an eyebrow. "Are we really going to talk about this now? Four months after everything?"

Hope looked away from her friend and back at the headstone. "No. Not now. Later, okay?"

The brunette nodded, her hand slipping further around Hope's waist as the two faced the headstone. They stood there for a while before the redhead sighed and pulled away from Josie to lay the flowers on the ground. "Love you, mom and dad." Her hand caressed her mom's name before she pulled away and stood.

Josie held out her hand and Hope's found it. The two interlocked their fingers together as if they'd done it a million times. "Do you want a private moment with them?"

Hope shook her head. "They knew my heart. They know what I'd say." _Hey mom, hey dad. I miss you and love you. You should be here. Anyway, there's not a whole lot new in my life except I'm kind of in love with my best friend and I thought I'd tell her when she almost died after she was stabbed but I didn't say a word. I hope you're having fun in the afterlife, bye!_

Josie nodded. "I have my orientation in a couple of hours. Where do you want to go to pass the time?"

"We should probably have that talk."

///

Josie set her phone on silent and bit the inside of her cheek as she watched Hope follow suit. The brunette fiddled with the lid of her reusable coffee cup, snapping it on and off until Hope's hand shot out and gripped hers.

"Jo, it's okay." Hope gave her friend a warm smile, setting her phone aside as she interlaced their fingers on the table between them. "We don't have to do this now, but if you're up for it?" she trailed off, waiting for some type of confirmation.

Josie nodded, her eyes on their hands. "I heard your testimony."

Hope withdrew her hand.

"How? It never went to trial."

"After Clarke pleaded guilty for giving those," Josie paused, having an obviously difficult time mentioning the men, "criminals," she settled on before continuing, "information to rob the bank, I wondered how he got caught."

Hope sunk into her chair, knowing where Josie was going.

"Then I pulled every available public document on the case. When I didn't find anything special, I called that desk officer that's been crushing on me for ages."

Hope fought the bubble of jealousy and responded, "Rafael?"

"Yes, Raf," Josie nodded, remembering the cop's name. "I called him and asked him for a favor. He must've had quite the crush because he faxed the case information within the hour. I was flipping through them for what felt like days when I finally came across your interview. You know," Josie squinted at her friend, "the one where you stated that the robbery was an inside job."

Hope winced.

Josie continued, "At first, I was seething mad. You named Milton, _Milton_ , as a suspect? I mean, come on. The kid is smart, but he's not diabolical."

"We quickly realized it wasn't him and moved on to Clarke."

"Still, Hope. _Milton_? I was _so_ mad that day."

The redhead sat back up with a hopeful expression. "You were mad? As in past tense? Does that mean you're not anymore?"

"I'm not mad. I just wish you would've talked to me."

"You were going through intense physical rehab. You had enough on your plate, Jo," Hope said, her voice turning soft.

"And what about you?" Josie asked, her tone pleading but firm, "Does my hurting somehow negate yours? You were going through psychological trauma. You didn't talk to me." It was as if the gates suddenly opened in Josie's mind and her filter became irrelevant as she started to speak, "I woke up after my surgery to Lizzie clutching my hand like it was an anchor. But you weren't in sight. I thought something had happened to you. My memory was fuzzy and I started to think of everything that could've happened to you. Lizzie must've seen the look on my face because she assured me you were okay."

"I was — I _am_ okay."

"No, you weren't. You still really haven't recovered. I haven't either but I'm talking to a therapist about everything that happened that day. And everything that came _after_."

Hope smiled weakly. "I think it's great you're talking to someone, Jo."

"I was stabbed and held at gunpoint and that really sucks," Josie said with a watery laugh as she watched Hope's expression turn concerned. "Hope," Josie said softly, holding her hands out on the table for Hope to slide hers into before continuing, "it's important to move through grief. It doesn't take being a psych major to know that."

Hope's hands found Josie's.

_They always did._

The brunette continued, "I've noticed how reserved you are. How you watch the doors of every room you're in." Josie watched as Hope's eyes darted automatically to the coffee shop's entrance before finding Josie's eyes again. "I notice your hand resting on your hip when you're in a crowded place. You're reminding yourself you have your gun."

Hope swallowed harshly as her eyes began to sting. "I failed to protect you at the bank. I like knowing you're safe with me. I can't fail again," she admitted, her voice shaky.

"And the way you care about others? That's one of the things that I _love_ about you, Hope," Josie smiled and Hope kept repeating in her head, _friends, friends, we're friends, nothing more._ "But I can take care of myself. I gave that robber a pretty nasty broken nose," she tried joking, but it fell flat.

"I am well aware that you're capable of taking care of yourself but I'm the one with a nine millimeter and the _impeccable_ shooting record, Jo. Let me fight the bad guys, okay?" _  
_

"Alright, I guess that's fair only if you promise not to go all hero mode when you can just run away from any trouble. It's amazing how much you care, but heroes die, Hope. So please, don't be a hero," Josie asked with scrunched up eyebrows and a pleading tone.

The detective just nodded.

Josie took it as a promise before continuing, "I've noticed how you watch me as if I'm about to go up into smoke and fly away. You haven't talked to me about that day. You haven't talked to anyone. Raf said you managed to get your psych evaluation signed off on without even going in to talk to the doctor."

"He really needs to mind his own business."

"He's the desk cop. It's his job to know everyone's business," Josie replied easily as one hand left Hope's and brushed her cheek, wiping away her friend's tears. "You, Hope Mikaelson, are the most amazing woman I know. And I can't watch you go down some messy path in which you think you're all alone because you're _not_. If you don't want to talk to me, that's okay. But you need to share your thoughts with someone."

The detective leaned into Josie's hand which was cupping her face. "Okay," she breathed out, agreeing.

"Okay," Josie smiled, her gaze not breaking Hope's.

Hope began to talk. Quietly and hesitantly, but she finally said what she'd been thinking and feeling for _four_ months. Josie watched with rapt attention, her hand never leaving her friend's.

There were some things Hope wasn't ready to divulge and she knew she needed to speak to the department's shrink about, but everything else? She told Josie.

She spoke of killing a man and how she woke up in cold sweats, imaging his face with bullet holes. She spoke of her hands feeling like they were never clean, how she would scrub and scrub at them until they were as red as the blood that used to be caked on them. She spoke of Lizzie's face when the doctor's told them that Josie would live, but it would be a couple of months of intense rehab. Hope spoke of how she'd been learning sign language during her breaks at work. She spoke of how work was grueling and the weight of her gun seemed to be dragging her down with guilt and anger and frustration.

She spoke of everything except one matter.

She didn't speak of sitting next to Josie's bedside when she was in the hospital, clutching her hand and praying to whatever being that would listen for her friend to be okay. She didn't speak of how she kept repeating three words over _(I love you)_ and over _(I love you)_ until Lizzie rested a hand on her shoulder and told her to take a break. She didn't speak of how she couldn't be there when the doctors took Josie out of the medically induced coma because Hope was too scared she would say those three words _(I love you)_ as soon as she saw Josie's eyes.

And looking into Josie's caring, considerate, trusting, beautiful brown eyes in the coffee shop? She was scared she'd say them all over again.

_I love you._

_I love you._

_I love you._

She bit her cheek and refused to break a friendship. She wouldn't ruin it.

The moment passed and the two realized they'd be late for Josie's orientation if they dwindled a minute longer.

They drove in relative silence.

Hope knew Josie preferred the quiet when she was nervous.

After a few days in the hospital, doped up on pain meds, Josie had finally decided she wouldn't take no for an answer from the grad programs. She asked Lizzie for her computer and she got to work preparing the best cover letter and resume. The part that really outsold was her personal essay. Who wouldn't want to hear of someone who got stabbed and survived? Josie sent it out the next day, determined she would be healthy by the next semester of the university.

When she received her acceptance letter, with an additional grant to cover partial costs, she called Hope and _wept_.

Hope couldn't have been happier for her. Josie would be working towards her doctorate degree and it would take years, but she knew it was all Josie had wanted since the start of her college career. The university was less than an hour away from the station so for Hope's own selfish reasons, she was happy with the location of Josie's schooling.

Hope parked the car and sighed. The drive had gone by quickly. She spent most of the time thinking of everything she'd told Josie.

_And the one thing she didn't tell her._

"Well, you better get going. You have," Hope glanced at the radio's clock, "ten minutes."

"We really pushed it," Josie said with a laugh, opening the car door and stepping into the sunshine.

Hope followed suit, leaning up against the car as Josie walked over to her. The brunette had her bag slung over her shoulder and Hope couldn't help but comment, "You look like a schoolgirl with the whole ensemble." Hope dragged her eyes up and down Josie's body, being pretty obvious but not caring.

"Very funny," Josie stepped closer to punch the Detective's shoulder lightly.

She didn't step back.

There was a soft glow from the sun that appeared to cast a halo around Josie and Hope thought it was rather fitting.

She stood so she was no longer leaning on the car. Her hands were fisted and her gaze hadn't broken with Josie's and she thought that _maybe_ , just maybe, Josie felt the pull too.

When the brunette's palm softly cupped her face and closed the space in between, Hope knew.

Josie's lips were warm and soft and for a second, Hope forgot how to kiss. She just stood there, being kissed by her best friend. It was only a second later when Josie began to pull away that Hope was able to snap out of the trance she'd been under.

One hand found the back of Josie's neck, pulling her impossibly closer while the other hand wrapped around Josie's waist. Her lips met Josie's, pulling a relieved sigh from the brunette. Josie's lips parted as Hope's tongue traced over hers, eliciting a soft moan.

Hope pulled away from Josie, slight panic on her face as she blurted, "You're going to be late for orientation."

Josie grinned. "So I'm late for orientation. They'll get over it—"

Hope interrupted her with a kiss. Then another. "I love you, Josette Saltzman," she whispered in between.

"I love you too, Hope Mikaelson," Josie whispered back, her lips meeting the redhead's again and again and again until each separate kiss just became one.

And if they stood there giggling like schoolchildren and kissing like lovers long after orientation had begun, no one was the wiser.

Yes, they still had a lot to talk through and no, neither one was perfectly fine but they had each other.

And that was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls let me know how you felt about this fic so i can gauge writing more hosie bc it can be hard writing a ship that's not (yet) canon. thx so much reading and commenting and giving kudos throughout this lil fic.  
> i appreciate so much!!
> 
> also - there was info purposely left out, like how hope's parents died, lizzie and josie's dynamic, etc. this is because i really wanted to focus on the hope/josie relationship without diving too much into their relationships outside one another. while those relationships are sooo important, i knew if i wrote about them, this fic would be 20 chapters long and never finished, lol yikes. anyway, if you have any criticisms, pls lmk!
> 
> twitter: sapphicshaw


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